Histogenesis and clinicopathological characteristics of superficially spreading carcinoma of the esophagus

To explore the possible histogenesis of superficially spreading carcinoma o f the esophagus, the clinicopathological features of these tumors (n = 44) were compared with those of ordinary superficial carcinoma (n = 163). Tumor s of a heterogeneous histological type and having in situ carcinoma compone nts were significantly more common (P < .05), and the number of residual sq uamous islands was significantly greater (P <0.05) in the former group than the latter. Furthermore, the tumor size was not different among in situ, i ntramucosal, and submucosal carcinomas of the former, whereas the tumors be came larger according to the depth of invasion in the latter group. These r esults indicate that the collision of multiple simultaneously developing su perficial tumors is a plausible histogenesis of superficially spreading car cinoma of the esophagus.